’90s Fashion Trends We Miss

“Dawson’s Creek,” “Titanic,” Tamagotchis, the Macarena: The 1990s produced some pretty awesome pop culture gems, no doubt — oh yeah, also No Doubt. But when it comes to ’90s fashion trends, things occasionally got a little … well, questionable. OK, so it wasn’t the most flattering decade, but that’s no reason not to look back fondly (and maybe with a little embarrassment).

To set the mood, let me paint a vivid (if slightly cringe-worthy) picture for you. Me walking down my middle school hallway in the late ’90s: My hair is pulled back with a multi-colored scrunchie; I have a stash of Bonne Bell Lip Smackers tucked away in the pocket of my tapered Jordache jeans; and I’m totally into this new group called the Spice Girls, which I listen to on my cutting-edge Discman. Facebook didn’t exist yet. No one had cell phones. Justin Bieber was barely three-years-old. It was a simpler time.

I’m not alone in my soft spot for the ’90s. When I asked around the office if anyone else was feeling a tad nostalgic for the decade, the answer was crystal clear. “I miss ’90s fashion,” sighed one editor. “It wasn’t always the most stylish, but it was still cool in its own way.” And even if you never fully embraced the ’90s fashion trends (aka avoided bubble bangs and stonewashed denim), it’s still super fun to remember what used to be popular.

So crank up the Ace of Base and break out your slap bracelets, because we’re going way, way back to the ’90s.